Queuing for the Rain

A visitor feels the water in "Rain Room" at The Museum of Modern Art in New York

Ever since it opened in May, Rain Room at the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) in New York has been drawing people in droves to experience the installation - where you can stand in the rain without getting wet.

Now, with only 24 hours left to experience the art, demand has gone through the roof with the MOMA team extending the opening until midnight on Sunday - the final day of the exhibition.

Rain Room, by the British art collective Random International is a 5,000 square foot (460 square metre) space fitted with sophisticated motion sensors that ensure downpour stops only in the precise position where people are detected. It is intended to give the feeling of being able to control the elements.

It has been so popular that close to 70,000 people have visited the piece and the museum has increased access by offering people the option of avoiding the long lines by viewing the installation from the side, without walking directly below the rain area.

Random International’s website describes the Rain Room as “a carefully choreographed downpour - a monumental work that encourages people to become performers on an unexpected stage, while creating an intimate atmosphere of contemplation.”

It was originally shown in London's Barbican for five months.

- AFP